Bottle-stopper



(No Model.)

W. VvE-RTS.

BOTTLE sToPPBR. No. 365,286. Patggted June 21, 1887.

UNTTE STATES PATENT Trice.

VILLIAM VERTS, OF CAMDEN, NEV JERSEY.

BOTTLE-STCPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 365,286, dated June 2l, 1887.

Application filed October 27, 1886.

To aZZ whom it may concer/a:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM WERTs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Camden, in the county of Camden and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bottle and J ar Stoppers, of which the following is a specification.

l My invention relates to improvements in bottle and jar Stoppers, and it consists of the peculiar combination of devices, and in the novel construction and arrangement of the various parts for service, substantially as hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved bottle-stopper which can be readily adjusted to vary the leverage of the clamping devices, so that the packing can be more securely pressed upon the neck ofthe bottle to hermetically seal the same, and effectually prevent the admission of air to the contents thereof.

It is well known that frequently Stoppers of beer and other bottles do not perfectly and tightly tit the same, and hence considerable time and labor are lost in fitting bottles with theirstoppers at the time of their manufacture, and in refilling the bott-le the stopper sometimes becomes loose, and is thus rendered untit for use.

In my improved stopper I propose to provide the stopper proper with means for varying the distance ofthe rubber or other elastic packing thereof from the fulcrum or pivot of the lever, so that when the stopper is loose, or does not properly fit the bott-le, the stopper and its packing can be very readily adjusted to increase the power of the lever, and thereby force the packing upon the neck of the bottle with greater' force to hermetically seal the same.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved stopper with means whereby the adjustment of the stopper proper can be effected after it has been applied to the bottle to close the open end thereof, and after it has been filled with theliquid or other substance, the clamping devices being capable of a rotary movement on the bottle, while the packing and stopper are in position upon and close the open end thereof, to effect the adjustment Serial No. M7233?. (No model.)

of the fulcrum of the lever, all as will be more fully hereinafter described. a

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a bottle-stopper embodying my present improvements, Figure l is a perspective view. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the stopper closed in full lines and open in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a top plan View showing the rotated position of the clamping devices in dotted lines. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view on the line w x of Fig. 3, showing the clamping devices closed. Fig. 5 is a detached perspeetive View of a modified form of my invention, and Fig. 6 is a central sectional view on the line y y of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings, in which like letters of reference denote corresponding paris in all the figures, A designates a bottle of any approved or preferred pattern, which is provided at its upper end with a reduced neck, a, having an extended shoulder or ledge, a, for a purpose presently described.

B designates the stopper proper, which is adapted to fit in the upper open end of the neck of the bottle and to tightly close the same. The body of this stopper is preferably made of metal, and it has a central socket, b, formed therein, the walls of which are interiorly screw-threaded, as shown, to receive an adjustable screw, C, which has a threaded shank that works in the threaded socket of the stopper-body, for a purpose presently explained. The stopper-body (shown in Figs. l to 4., inelusive,) is provided at its upper and lower ends with rightanglcd flanges or ledges l/ b", which are formed iutegralthercwith, and over its lower end, and over the lower flange, lf', thereof, is fitted a packing, D, of rubber or other like elastic substance, so as to more effectually close the mouth of the bottle. rlhis packing D is provided with an annular groove` d, into which the lower edge or flange, b2, of the stopper fits, so as to very securely and firmly connect the stopper and packingthere for together, and the upper edge of the packing is further provided with an annular ilange or rim, d', which is arranged beneath and concentric with the upper ilange, b', ofthe stopper, the edges of the rini d of the elastic packing being extended or projected beyond the edge of the flange b of the stopper, so that vIO the flange or rim ofthe packing will be interposed between the upper edge ofthe bottle and the flange b', so as to be closely and firmly pressed into contact with the bottle by the pres- 5 sure of the said flange of the stopper thereon.

-The adj usting-screw C ofthe stopper is provlded at its upper end with a dat right-angled head, c, which is formed in a single piece therewith for strength and durability, and the opposite terminal ends ofthe said head are'provided with vertically disposed flanges c, through which are formed transverse openings c2, that are arranged inline with each other for the passage therethrough of the pivots of the lever F, as presently described. The head c and flanges c' form together a bracket, which I have shown as rigidly secured or fitted to the screw C.

The lever F is bent or formed from a single p lece of stout wire, and it comprises the two sides f f, which are arranged parallel with cach other, or substantially so, the short rightangled armsf, which are bent at an angle to the lever arms or bars f propel', the pivot arms z5 f2, which are bent at right angles to the arms f and in opposite directions from each other, `so that they pass through the eyes ofthe fianges on the adjusting-screw, andthe arms f 3, which are arranged at right angles to the sections or arms f2, and are pivotally connected at their free ends to the bail G, by bending the said ends around the bail, as shown very clearly in Figs. l and 4. The pivot-arms f2 are arranged inline with each other and pass through the aligned openings in the lugs of the adjustlng-screw, to pivotally connect the lever to the screw, so as to force' the screw and the stopper into the open mouth of the bottle when the lever is pressedinto a vertical position and against one side of the bottle, as will be more fully described presently.

.The bail G is normally arranged in an upright or vertical'position, and it comprises the side bars, g, and the transverse bar g', all of which are bent from a singlepieceof wire. The lower ends of the side bars of the yoke are bent inwardly toward each other and the bottle, to provide short trunnions g2, which are loosely fitted in aligned eyes h, formed in a collar or ring, H, which is fitted around the reduced neck of the bottle andbeneath the flange or ledge a' thereof, to prevent vertical displacement of the same when upward pressure is exerted thereon by the bail when the le` ver forces the stopper to its seat. The collar is also formed ofasingle piece of wire, and the eyes 7L thereof are formed by giving the collar one or more coils at diametrically-opposite points in the same at the time of manufacturing the collar; and the collar is fitted loosely around the neck of the bottle, beneath the ledge or flange a thereof, so as to turn or rotate around the bottle in adjusting the screw. When the lever is pressed against the sides of the bottle, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4 of the drawings, the arms f thereof assume a horizontal position, and thereby draw the arms fa to a vertical position. As the arns'f2 of the lever are connected to the stopper through the t `to.the bail, draw `upon the bail and turn or force .the same to a vertical position, and the bail and adjusting-screw are arranged in line with each other and in the same vertical plane.

The operation of my invention is as follows: After the stopper has been properly applied to the, bottle and the latter has been filled with the liquid, the packing and stopper are adjusted to enter the open end of the bottle.. In this position the bail assumes a slightly-inclined position, and the lever also lies in an inclined position, as shown in dotted lines in' Fig. 2 of the drawings. lever is now depressed until it bears against the side of the bottle, and this movement of the lever simultaneously presses the stopper into the bottle, to tightly close the same, and draws the bail to a vertical or upright position.

If it is found that thestopper does not tightly -close the upper end lof the bottle, so as to effectually exclude air therefrom, it is only necessary to turn or elevate the free end of the lever a limited distance, so that it is free from contact with the bottle, and the lever can then be turned in a horizontal plane, to likewise actuate the bail, the collar, and the screw connected to the lever, thereby elevating the screw while the stopper remains stationary in the mouth of the bottle, being held from movement-therein by frictional contact of the elastic packing with the bottle. By thus rotating the screw in the stopper the distance of the stopper-body from the fulcrum of the lever is increased, and the pressure exerted by the lever is correspondinglyincreased, and when the lever is again depressed until its free end bears ou the bottle the stopper and packing are forced more firmly into engagement with the upper edge and sides of the open mouth of the bottle, thereby more effectually closing the latter, as will be very readily understood.

It will thus be seen that I provide animproved bottle stopper which can be very readily applied to any class of beer or other bottles, andwhich can be quickly adjusted to fit bottles 'of different sizes and to take up the wear on the parts. The fastener can be readily applied to new bottles and adjusted so as to tightly fit the same, and it can be readily adjusted upon old bottles, to cause it to tightly fit them when they have become loose through wear, Src., on the parts.

I attach especial importance to the stopper adj ustably connected to the lever, so that the distance between the fulcrum of the lever and rlhe free end of they ICO the stopper can be varied to adapt it to fit bottles of varying sizes and take up the wear on the parts, and to connecting the parts in such a manner that they can be turned or rotated in horizontal planes without removing the device from the bottle or displacingl the stopper and its packing from their positions in the open month of the bottle, which latter feature is very desirable in closing beer and other bottles after they have been filled, as air is thereby efectually excluded from the bottle while the operation of adjusting the parts is being performed.

In the modified forni of my invention shown in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings I rigidly affix the regulating-screw to the center ot' the stopper, so that it will project upwardly therefrom, and a collar or sleeve, J, is fitted on the screw and adjustable vertically thereon. This sleeve or collar is interiorly screw-tlireaded, and it is provided with integral triinnions j, that are located at diametrically opposite points thereon. The lever is formed with aligned eyes Z, througlrwhicli are passed the trunnions of the adjustable collar, and the lever is thereby connected in a pivotal manner with the collar and stopper, and in a like manner with the bail, the free ends of the lever being bent or doubled around the bail, as heretofore described.

The operation of this form of my invention is substantially the saine as the device heretofore described, with the single exception that the collar in this case isadj usted vertically, instead of the screw, to vary the distance of the stopper from the fulcrum ofthe lever.

It will be understood that in both forms of my invention, whether I use a bracket formed integral or held rigid with the sci'ew, or have a collar to work on the screw, the latter being held rigid, the same general feature is observed. The bracket or collar that forms the fulcrum for the lever is vertically adjustable in both instances by the movement ofthe lever.

It is obvious that the iinprovementsherein described can be applied to jars for fruit, the parts being enlarged and changed to accommodate the new application; hence I do not wish to be restricted to bottles in the use of my improved stopper.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination, with a collar fitted loosely upon a bottle or the like, and capable of a free rotary motion around the same, of a bail pivoted to the collar and moving therewith in its rotary motion, a lever connected to the bail, the stopper, and an adjustable moving fulcrum for the lever, which fulcrum is connected to the stopper, and is adjustably operated solely by the movement of the lever, as set forth.

2. The combination of the bail connected to a bottle or the like, so as to be capable ofa free rotary movement in a horizontal plane,

the lever, the stopper, and the movable fulcrum for the lever connected to the stopper, which fulcrum is connected to the bail, and is adjustably operated solely by the movement of the lever, so as to turn in a horizontal plane independently of the stopper, as set forth.

3. In a stopper for bottles and the like, the combination of a bail, a screw connected to the stopper, and a lever fnlerumed npoii the screw and connected to the bail, whereby the distance between the stopper and the fulcrum of thelever can be varied to regulate the pressn re of the lever upon the stopper, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination of a collar loosely fitted upon a bottle or the like andcapable of rotary motion around the same, a bail pivoted to the collar and movable therewith, a stopper, a lever pivoted to the bail, and a screw inter mediate of the stopper and lever and having the latter fulcruined upon the saine, substantiallv as described, for the purpose set forth.

5 U'Ihe combination of a collar fitted loosely upon a bottle and capable of fiee rotary motion around the same, a bail pivoted to the collar and moving therewith in its rotary niotion, but capable of an independent swinging motion, a lever pivoted to the bail, and a screw connected to the stopper and having the lever fuleruined upon the same, whereby the distance between the stopper and the fulcrum of the lever can be varied, and the lever, the bail, and collar are capable of a horizontal rotary motion independently of the stoppcr,substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination ofa stopper having the threaded-socket, the screw adjustably connected to the socket of the stopper, the bail, and a lever fulcrunied upon the screwl and pivoted to the bail, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

7. The combination of a stopper having the threaded-socket and the elastic packing connected thereto, the screw working in the socket and having the head provided with the aligned ears, the lever fnlcrumed in the ears ot the screw, and the bail to which the lever is connected, substantially as described, lor the purpose set forth.

8. The combination of a stopper, the adjusting-screw connected therewith, a collar, a bail pivoted to the collar, and a lever connected to the bail and having the pivot-arms thereof arranged out of its longitudinal axis and fulcrumed to the adjusting-screw, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence ot' two witnesses.

VILLIAM VERTS.

Witnesses:

E. L. LETHERBURY, NELLIE BURKE.

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